


Here We Are

by Iris_Celeno



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: F/M, Feelings are born, Post-Finale, blast from the past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 01:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6353707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iris_Celeno/pseuds/Iris_Celeno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A month after the S1 finale, Leanne has to attend a symposium on emergency medicine with Ed Harbert, and their relationship shifts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here We Are

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, hopefully it won't be disappointing in spite of the pre-romance setting.  
> Again non beta-ed, please forgive any mistake you might find.

“Remind me please why I am here,” Leanne Rorish enquired, her voice all sugar, her eyes all spice. 

Spice so strong that it could choke the life out of you, Ed Harbert thought. Elegantly clad in a pearl grey pant suit, her manners impeccable, a polite smile firmly in place, she looked like she belonged to the crowd of administrators...and she'd probably be mortally offended if he told her so, although he was aware that it was only a veneer. In the hushed atmosphere and the beige walls of the conference center, surrounded with solemn bureaucrats, she stood out anyway. The vibrant energy she exuded and could never entirely mask, her brisk and terribly precise moves, and above all her alert gaze, perpetually on the lookout, set her apart from the others. Everyone here or almost had the title of MD but she was the only one of them all, including him, who would be like a fish to water in an emergency room.

He was actually surprised that she had waited for the end of the second presentation to express her displeasure other than by a sneer or a roll of her eyes here and there. Thus, making allowances for the remarkable restrain she had showed so far, he answered in an agreeable tone.

“This is a national symposium on a more rational and effective gestion of emergency medecine ressources.” 

“I know how to read,” she pointed, waving the pamphlet in front of his face. 

“Then I don't have to explain to you again why, as our ER director, you presence is requested here or how you can benefit from the past experiences of colleagues all over the country.” 

She snorted. “But maybe you can explain to me why it has to take two days and nine presentations, whereas the whole point can be summarized in six words: Exploit your personnel, endanger your patients.”

_You think that's what I'm doing?_

The unbidden thought popped in his mind, which surprised him; yet not as much as the pang of exasperation and disappointment that accompanied it. He had long stopped explaining his reasons for choosing administration over practice. He had made that choice eyes wide open, knowing that he would be seen at best as a killjoy, at worst as a traitor because he would be the constant reminder of what most doctors wanted to forget: Saving people came with a cost, a financial cost, and it was a reality that had to be dealt with. It had long stopped stinging that only a handful of people understood; he had never been thin-skinned anyway. He had learned to see the glass half or rather, ten percent full, and to appreciate the rare instances when people did. Gina had been one of those people...No. Not now. 

In order to bury the feeling of loss, he focused on the cause of his strange, unreasonable reaction: The woman in front of him. It helped that she demanded he muster as much patience as humanly possible.

“When we have another budget crisis...and please note that I said _when_ , not _if_...you won't be able to repeat the same sleight of hand as last month, Leanne. This symposium offers options, possible solutions.”

“None of those options are possible solutions to me. There are risks that should never be taken.”

“These are words that I didn't expect to hear from you.”

She jolted. His offhand remark had offended her, although he had no idea how or why.

“I take risks to save lives, not _money_.”

“And yet, money is necessary to save lives,” he retorted, unable to hide a terse, bitter note in his voice. 

Her disdainful tone had triumphed over his resolve to stay even-tempered, leaving him with no choice but to admit it. It stung that Leanne Rorish, of all people, didn't understand him or his motivation. God only knew why.

“Money can't hold a scalpel, it can't make decisions. It pays for people who save lives.”

She had raised her voice a bit and one or two people nearby turned their heads in their direction. On a common and silent agreement, they left the wide corridor where everybody was still gathered, discussing in scattered groups, for the deserted entrance lobby. She turned on her heels and faced him, arms crossed on her chest, chin lifted, all set for a fight, all...passion. 

She didn't stand out in the crowd because she was still practicing, he suddenly realized. He and the other administrators were all about rationale and reason. It was the passion she had in her, for her job, for her team, for her patients, that made her different.  
He used to feel the same passion, he remembered, and wondered briefly when he lost it. 

“Leanne, were you a naive, bright-eyed med student, I could accept that idealistic 'money doesn't matter' rhetoric. But with your experience, you certainly know better.”

“I never said it doesn't matter,” she specified, her tone dry and short now. “I'm painfully aware that it does, especially with the current situation of my ER. I said that contrary to what those people here think, it's merely a mean to an end.”

Those people. Not him. He wasn't included in the target of her contempt. As strangely, as unreasonably, and once more as only God knew why, he found himself very much relieved. Maybe a bit flattered? Quite...content, for sure.

“Ed?” 

Had he let anything show on his face? Her stance was less combative, her gaze curious more than incensed now. He took a deep breath.

“You have to stop thinking as if it were you against them.”

“It would be easier if it hadn't been me against them half of the time, during my whole career.”

“Management is here to help, Leanne, not to hinder. To organize, and rationalize, in order to be more effective.”

“Effective, or productive?”

“Isn't that the same?” 

“No, unless it's about managing an assembly line. Did you hear that guy from Chicago County General, this morning, and his brilliant idea to keep every non-surgical patient ten minutes in case they need no exams, and thirty minutes if they do, no more, in _any_ case? Medicine doesn't work like _that_. Can you seriously claim that it's viable for personnel and patients alike? We aren't mechanics, and they aren't cars. ”

She had a point. He kind of hated when she had a point, even more when his lack of comeback let her know that she did. He didn't like to lose, and it was a rare occurrence. As he was trying to retrieve a more confident composure, he noticed from the corner of his eye a tall figure stalking in the lobby.

“I didn't say that every idea presented here had to be copied and pasted. But some of them are possible to implement, for the better, if both sides discuss and listen to each other. Collaboration is the key, Leanne, if we want to manage the ER with more efficiency.”

Was that a flicker of disappointment in her eyes? Spice was back there for sure, but no trace of sugar in her voice, now. It was perfectly cold and even.

“Really? I'm not sure that we have the same definition of collaboration or efficiency. Otherwise, my team wouldn't be down an attending right now, and I'd be where I'm more useful and efficient, meaning in my ER, replacing said attending during codes black.”

Would she ever stop catching him off guard? Just when he thought they could find common grounds, she went on the offensive, and this time her criticism was directed at him, personally. He felt his own temper rise, and was about to answer in the same fashion when a loud noise startled them.

“Are you freaking daft? Of course I'm not Dr Wu, he sent me to replace him! I was there when he e-mailed your boss to warn him, for God's sake!” the man who had entered earlier was booming, hitting the reception desk with his fist for a second time and making the poor twenty-something in charge of welcoming the participants shrink against the wall. 

Ed knew this voice, had no patience for its owner or this kind of behavior, and cold annoyance dampened his growing anger. 

“I see that your manners didn't improve since the last time we met, Dr Guthrie.” 

Cole Guthrie spun round, and had the good grace to lose a bit of his brass as he recognized him, which quite pleased Ed. Angels Memorial was always short of surgeons, and he didn't appreciate to be let down overnight by someone he had hired as a favor just when a major road accident had caused the worst code black of the year. Their didn't part on cordial or even good terms, since Ed had been clear that were anyone to call him for a pre-employement screening, he wouldn't mince his words. Guthrie was an excellent surgeon, he would even say gifted, devoted to his patients, and had qualities as a leader, but he was personally unmanageable and not to be relied on.  
Yet, it seemed that Dr Mark Wu, whom he knew was the administrator of Emergency Surgery at John Hopkins, didn't want or didn't need his opinion. He was musing that the guy would never cure of his arrogance if he never paid for his tantrums when, to his surprise, the surgeon completely lost his aplomb. 

Following his contrite stare, Ed turned towards Leanne. She was looking back at Guthrie, her face an impassible mask, but her eyes clouded. She plunged her hands into her pockets, as if bracing herself.  
He knew her as a brash, dauntless powerhouse. He knew her as a sympathetic, reliable presence in case of trouble, as someone to confide in.  
But he had never seen her vulnerable and it didn't please him at all that she was because of someone like Cole Guthrie. Obviously, the man didn't leave only his job overnight. 

Before he could help himself, or he could explain why he felt the sudden need to offer her some support, his hand went to rest on the small of her back. She threw him a surprised glance, but she didn't step away.

“Hello, Cole,” she greeted with an even smile. 

“Hello, Leanne. I'm surprised to find you here.” 

So, no more booming. Ed was torn between admiring Leanne's class and rolling his eyes at the sudden rueful, boyish demeanor of the other man. 

“I'm director of the ER at Angels, now.”

“Ah, yes...I heard about Gina Perello. It's a real pity, she was good at her job.”

The feeling of loss surged again, the perfunctory condolences infuriated him, yet Ed managed to show no reaction. He sensed a sudden tension in Leanne. Understanding that it was out of concern for him, he drew a little circle on her back to let her know that he was all right.

“Dr Guthrie,” the receptionist called shyly. “We found Dr Wu's e-mail...if you may come and fill in the form?” 

“Finally,” he grumbled, and took his leave of Leanne on a much nicer tone. “See you later, I guess.”

As she nodded, still all noncommittal smile, another unbidden, unreasonable, strange thought popped in Ed's mind. _Not if I can avoid it_.

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case: as the tags indicate, there is no triangle. It's Ed/Leanne.  
> I liked Cole, in spite of his issues, but he's seen here through Ed's eyes and Ed has no sympathy for him. He wasn't supposed to be there in the beginning, but I think it will work nicely for our future lovebirds.  
> This fic should have two or three chapters. I apologize in advance, but I have no idea when I'll be able to update it.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
